Anyone with the slightest interest in video games can’t have failed to notice Overwatch, the latest video game by legendary developer Blizzard. And it is clear that Blizzard’s hype machine has been working overtime, blasting the airwaves with Overwatch ads, with Blizzard even putting life-size action figures of Overwatch characters in locations throughout the world (a gigantic statue of female character Tracer was installed in Hollywood, for instance).
Blizzard has also been promoting Overwatch with a series of animated shorts, which truth be told, are a sight to behold, and certainly as good as anything Disney or Pixar could come up with. Earlier animated shorts like ‘Dragons’ focused on the rivalry between ninjas Hanzo and Genji, while another short released last April pitted the silent assassin Widowmaker vs the feisty Tracer.
This latest short showcases the skills of Soldier: 76, who according to Blizzard’s official website is a vigilante who is “currently the target of an international manhunt”. Soldier: 76 was one of the most popular characters during Overwatch’s open beta earlier this month, and this must be due to the fact that he’s the typical soldier character armed with heavy weaponry, the kind of character which fans of games like Call of Duty will already be familiar with.
Soldier: 76 also proves that he has a heart of gold and lives up to his vigilante reputation in the animated short above, as he helps a young lady in trouble by dealing with members of the “Los Muertos” gang in the Mexican city of Dorado.
And there’s no doubt that cinematics of this calibre have gotten plenty of players interested in Overwatch, with early reviews pointing out that this is indeed the wonderfully entertaining experience fans of multiplayer shooter games were looking for this year.
Note: Overwatch was released on May 24, 2016. Available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.